Before the Rock, there was Rocky Johnson – the man who became the first black tag team wrestling champion before siring the giant son who grew up to be the highest paid actor in Hollywood.
According to THR, indie filmmaking brothers Jonathan and Justin Gajewski are now developing Ring King, a biopic that follows Johnson’s career from Nova Scotia to the WWE Hall Of Fame.
Johnson, who is now 73, started wrestling in the ’60s during the peak of the civil rights movement. A truck driver who trained as a boxer (sparring with Muhammad Ali and George Foreman), Wayde “Rocky Johnson” Bowles began training aged just 16 – eventually teaming up with Tony Atlas, aka “The Black Superman”. His early career saw him fighting more obstacles outside the ring than in, and he battled racial prejudice to become of the first wrestlers to demand (and get) a contract.
“We are very excited to bring Rocky Johnson’s incredible story to the world,” said the Gajewskis, whose previous credits include assistant director roles on the likes of Suicide Squad and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.
There’s no word yet on who might play Rocky in the film, but there’s probably at least one guy who might be interested…